title: Cystic neoplasms of the exocrine pancreas.
abstract: Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are rare and their diagnosis and treatment can be difficult. This report details 7 patients who had histologically proven serous cystadenoma, mucinous cystadenoma and cystadeno carcinoma. Computed tomography and sonography allowed excellent preoperative assessment but to attempt a distinction between the histological variants may be hazardous. Two tumours were only autopsy findings and 5 patients underwent laparotomy. It is confirmed that potentially malignant mucinous cystadenomas and cytadenocarcinomas should be resected whenever possible; serous cystadenomas are always benign and should therefore be resected only when the diagnosis is doubtful or if they cause symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie B, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosimann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ribaux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schnyder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003537:Cystadenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed